SánscritoIASTSignificado
अथathathereupon; further
हhasurely; as is known
एनम्enamit; of this
गार्गीgārgīGārgī (a woman sage); Gārgī; Gārgī
वाचक्नवीvācaknavīVācaknavī (the daughter of Vacaknu); Vācaknavī; Vācaknavī
पप्रच्छpapracchaasked; put a question
याज्ञवल्क्येतिyājñavalkyetiO Yājñavalkya; thus: Yājñavalkya
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
यद्yadwhen; that which
इदंidaṃthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
अप्सुapsuin the waters; in the water
ओतम्otamis woven lengthwise (ota — along the warp); woven along; is woven
चcaand; as well as
प्रोतम्protamis woven crosswise (prota — along the woof); woven across; is threaded through
चcaand; as well as
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
आपःāpaḥthe waters; the watery element
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
वायौvāyauupon the wind (vāyu, loc.); upon Vāyu; upon the wind
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
वायुःvāyuḥthe wind; the air
ओतःotaḥis woven lengthwise; is strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोतःprotaḥis woven crosswise; is interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
अन्तरिक्षलोकेषुantarikṣalokeṣuin the worlds of the mid-region; in the atmospheric regions
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
अन्तरिक्षलोकाःantarikṣalokāḥthe worlds of the mid-region; the atmospheric regions
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
गन्धर्वलोकेषुgandharvalokeṣuupon the worlds of the gandharvas (gandharva-loka, loc. pl.); in the worlds of the gandharvas; upon the gandharva worlds
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
गन्धर्वलोकाःgandharvalokāḥthe worlds of the gandharvas; the regions of the gandharvas
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
अदित्यलोकेषुadityalokeṣuin the worlds of the Ādityas; in the solar regions
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
आदित्यलोकाःādityalokāḥthe worlds of the Ādityas; the solar regions
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
चन्द्रलोकेषुcandralokeṣuin the worlds of the moon; in the lunar regions
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
चन्द्रलोकाःcandralokāḥthe worlds of the moon; the lunar regions
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
नक्षत्रलोकेषुnakṣatralokeṣuin the worlds of the stars; in the stellar regions
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
नक्षत्रलोकाःnakṣatralokāḥthe worlds of the stars; the stellar regions
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
देवलोकेषुdevalokeṣuin the worlds of the gods; in the divine regions
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
देवलोकाःdevalokāḥthe worlds of the gods; the divine regions
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
इन्द्रलोकेषुindralokeṣuin the worlds of Indra; in the regions of Indra
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
इन्द्रलोकाःindralokāḥthe worlds of Indra; the regions of Indra
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
प्रजापतिलोकेषुprajāpatilokeṣuin the worlds of Prajāpati; in the regions of the lord of creatures
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
प्रजापतिलोकाःprajāpatilokāḥthe worlds of Prajāpati; the regions of the lord of creatures
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
ब्रह्मलोकेषुbrahmalokeṣuin the worlds of Brahmā; in the regions of Brahman
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
इतिitithus; how
कस्मिन्kasminin what; on what
नुnusurely; is it that
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
ब्रह्मलोकाःbrahmalokāḥthe worlds of Brahmā; the regions of Brahman
ओताःotāḥare woven lengthwise; are strung
चcaand; as well as
प्रोताःprotāḥare woven crosswise; are interwoven
चcaand; as well as
इतिitithus; how
सःsaḥhe; that one
हhasurely; as is known
उवाचuvācahe said; he uttered
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
मातिप्राक्षीःmātiprākṣīḥdo not question beyond measure (mā ati-prākṣīḥ); do not ask excessively; do not over-question
माmānot; no need
तेtethose; these
मूर्धाmūrdhāthe head (mūrdhan); the head; the head
व्यपप्तत्vyapaptatit will fall off; it will fly apart
अनतिप्रश्न्याम्anatipraśnyāmabout which one must not over-question (an-atipraśnyā); not to be over-questioned; the not-to-be-over-questioned
वैvaitruly; indeed
देवताम्devatāmthe deity; the divine power
अतिपृच्छसिatipṛcchasiyou question beyond measure (ati + √prach); you ask too much; you over-question
गार्गिgārgiO Gārgī; Gārgī
मातिप्राक्षीर्mātiprākṣīrdo not ask beyond measure; do not press too far
इतिitithus; how
ततःtataḥthan that; after this
हhasurely; as is known
गार्गीgārgīGārgī (a woman sage); Gārgī; Gārgī
वाचक्नवीvācaknavīVācaknavī (the daughter of Vacaknu); Vācaknavī; Vācaknavī
उपररामupararāmahe fell silent; he ceased questioning
The sixth is Gārgī Vācaknavī, a woman theologian, the ornament of the assembly and one of the great minds of the Veda. Her method is a merciless regress: "upon what is it woven?" (otaṁ ca protaṁ ca — the image of warp and woof on a loom): the waters upon the wind, the wind upon the mid-region, and higher and higher: the worlds of the gandharvas, of the sun, the moon, the stars, the gods, Indra, Prajāpati, Brahmā… The ladder of questioning, familiar from Nārada (ChU 7), is climbed in a minute to the very top.
And at "upon what are the worlds of Brahmā?" comes a sudden halt: mā atiprākṣīḥ, "do not over-question — your head will fall off!" This is neither rudeness nor a ban on thought: it is a technical warning of the brahmodya. The regress "upon what?" looks for a support outside — but the Last has no "outside"; a question applied where it no longer applies destroys the questioner himself (the head — the pride of reason — "falls off" for one who demands an external support for what has no exterior). Beyond the limit of "upon what" the question must be changed — and Gārgī, being great, will grasp this: she falls silent not as one defeated but as one learning, and will return (3.8) with a question faultlessly put — to receive the teaching of the Akṣara.
So the Upaniṣad teaches the art of ultimate questions: there is a line where "out of what?" and "upon what?" come to an end — not because they are forbidden, but because the Ground of all supports is itself woven upon nothing. Before the line, ask without fear; at the line, change the question or bow.